25 Popular Toys Every Kid Wanted in the 1980s ...Saudi Arabia

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Over the last few months, we've been taking a walk down memory lane as part of our Parade Rewind series and looking back on some of the most influential toys of the 20th century. First, we covered how the 1950’s revolutionized the toy industry with the addition of television advertising and plastic molding. Next, we traveled back in time to the 1960s, which one toy expert called a “transformational time for toys.” Then, we circled back to the 1970s and discovered that toys played a pivotal role in pop culture during a “time of transition in childhood and parenting.” This month, we're exploring 25 popular 1980s toys every kid wanted.

But first, it's important to understand why the '80s were an important decade in history for playtime.

"Toys became larger than life due to television commercials, toy stores, Saturday morning cartoons and growing interest in collectible play," Blake Changnon, the founder, president and CEO of The Changnon Family Museum of Toys and Collectibles, tells Parade. "The decade introduced toys that blended imagination, storytelling, technology and creativity in new ways. Many 1980s toys are still remembered today because they became part of childhood memories and are still collected by the generation that grew up with them."

Whether you grew up in the '80s or are looking for a few new items to add to your collection, the list below is packed with plenty of nostalgia.

Related: The 2 Most Popular Toys of Every Decade from the 1930s On, According to a Collector

Bob Friedland, a toy expert who has experience running public relations for both Toys"R"Us and FAO Schwarz, has supported several toy brands and companies over the years, including Hasbro, Target, Bandai, Lionel Trains and more. He says the "relaxed advertising standards" in the '80s "allowed for the rise of TV shows and comic books that existed to basically sell toys."

"These compelling cartoons heightened kids’ interest and turned new brands, as well as some that had been dormant for years, into powerhouses that evaporated from store shelves," he adds.

Many toys that were invented in the '80s are still relevant today, he also points out.

"Standout brands that were invented in the 1980s include Trivial Pursuit, My Little Pony, Nintendo Entertainment System, Masters of the Universe, Transformers, Teddy Ruxpin, She-Ra, Jem and the Holograms, Micro Machines, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Nintendo Game Boy," he tells Parade.

Kayleigh Davies, an antiques and collectibles specialist at online auction marketplace Auctionet, says the decade was an "era of invention."

"Developments in technology were leading to new interesting toys, like the Speak and Spell (the first consumer electronic device to use a DSP chip), Teddy Ruxpin and new gaming consoles, like the Nintendo Entertainment System," she notes.

Overall, action figures, dolls and toy cars dominated the toy world in the '80s, she states.

"What was new was the unique selling points of the popular lines, as companies tried to innovate to steal market share," she shares. "This meant that toys shrunk, transformed or had ever more interesting action features to appeal to children."

Related: Where Can You Buy NeeDohs? The CEO Shares Everything To Know About the Viral Collectibles

25 Popular Toys Every Kid Wanted in the 1980s

1. Transformers

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"Bringing together a few different Japanese toy lines that featured robots that turned into cars, planes, boom boxes and other objects, Transformers was one of the most popular toys of the '80s," Friedland states.

Similar to many other popular toys from the decade, Transformers action figures were also featured in a TV show.

"The cartoon and comic launched simultaneously, with sales of the toys fueled by both," Davies says.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was born from a comic series by artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and became one of the most popular toy crazes and franchises of all time," Oceanna Colgan, a nostalgia-focused content creator and video producer, tells Parade. "Who would have thought combining comedy, pizza culture and the names of Italian Renaissance artists would generate such a lasting impact on generations of kids?"

3. Cabbage Patch Kids

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Changnon says these dolls "became a huge phenomenon" in the '80s.

"Each doll was unique and bore the signature of its maker on its bottom," he shares.

Per Colgan, Cabbage Patch Kids "felt really personal" since they came with adoption papers. And due to their popularity, finding one of the dolls wasn't always easy.

"When people talk about fighting in Toy'R'Us to get the 'hot toy' for Christmas, the video footage that plays is likely from the Cabbage Patch Kids craze. When these dolls were introduced, they were in high demand with a small supply," Friedland says.

4. Barbie

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Barbie had already been around for several decades by the time the '80s rolled around, but the decade was still significant for the doll.

"The '80s [were] when Barbie transformed from a fashion doll into a cultural icon that mirrored the real world," Friedland states. "Thanks to lines like Barbie and the Rockers, which capitalized on the rise of MTV, and sets that emphasized careers, Barbie felt more aspirational than it had in the past, which worked well in the '80s."

Other significant Barbie releases from the '80s included Peaches ‘n Cream Barbie, which Davies describes as "one of the bestselling Barbie dolls of the decade."

"The dress is total 1980s opulence and many collectors credit her as the doll that got them started," she says.

5. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

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"The NES helped revive the entire home video game industry after the crash of the early 1980s," Colgan says. "Launched in the U.S. in 1985, Nintendo sold millions of systems by the end of the decade, and characters like Mario and Zelda are still recognizable to kids today."

To this day, retro Nintendo gaming systems like the NES are still in high demand.

6. Polly Pocket

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"Polly Pocket was first made by Bluebird Toys after a father decided to make a toy that would fit inside a compact for his daughter," Davies says, adding that the tiny size of the toy was "revolutionary" at the time.

Still made today, the pint-sized toy "opened up into entire mini worlds," per Colgan.

7. Garbage Pail Kids

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"A parody of Cabbage Patch Kids, this line of trading cards featured characters having some terrible thing happen to them. They were soon banned in schools because they distracted students," Changnon says.

8. American Girl

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"When Pleasant Company (now known as American Girl) launched in 1986, it changed the toy industry by combining dolls with historically accurate books, clothes and accessories that represented pivotal moments in America’s past," Changnon says.

Each of the dolls came with her own book that kids can read to hear more about her backstory. Over the years, the brand expanded to include many more dolls, including ones that customers could customize with different features.

"The collection has been praised for bringing history to life for millions of children through storytelling and imaginative play," he states. "40 years later, the brand is still beloved by parents today who grew up with it and has helped shape an entire generation."

Related: 11 Popular Food Chains From the ’80s We Wish Would Come Back Now

9. 'Jem and the Holograms' Dolls

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"Barbie had a monopoly on the fashion doll market, but Hasbro had some ideas on how to compete and came up with Jem. Mattel caught wind and beat them to market with Barbie and the Rockers, but Jem outsold her rival," Davies says.

Per Colgan, Jem dolls "captured the glamor, music-video energy and neon fashion aesthetic that defined so much of the decade."

Even better, there was a TV show to go along with the dolls.

10. Rainbow Brite

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"Created by Hallmark Cards, these dolls were produced by Mattel in conjunction with its TV series," Changnon says.

Per Colgan, the toys "perfectly captured the colorful fantasy aesthetic of the 1980s."

"Rainbow Brite was adventure, love and light all in one," she says.

11. Care Bears

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"Originally designed for American Greetings greeting cards, Care Bears made the leap to the small screen and toy shelves and became hugely popular," Friedland states. "Each one had a distinct personality and a belly badge that represented its power or personality, which engaged kids who wanted the Care Bear they most identified with."

Per Davies, Care Bears later expanded to include "cousins, including lions, monkeys and elephants."

12. Micro Machines

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"While Hot Wheels were priced well, Micro Machines were even better. They were smaller, so you could get multiple vehicles for $1," Friedland notes.

The tiny automobiles were "heavily detailed" thanks to "cutting-edge engraving techniques," he shares.

The brand's marketing strategy also contributed to its popularity.

"The magic was in the marketing with John Moschitta speed-talking through commercials that listed a dizzying array of features, and ended with the tag line 'If it doesn’t say Micro Machines, it’s not the real thing,'" he explains.

13. Rubik’s Cube

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If you've ever tried to solve a Rubik's Cube, you know how satisfying and frustrating it can be. But did you know that the toy's popularity soared in the '80s?

"The simple idea of trashing a puzzle in multiple directions to get each side to show a solid color became an obsession for kids and adults," Friedland states. "The cross-generational nature of the puzzle made it a huge success and drove sales. Invented in the 1970s, it made the leap to the U.S. in 1980. Rubik’s Cube also had a cartoon show, but that was developed after the toy hit cult status."

14. 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'

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"The muscle-bound figures in this line made Star Wars figures look weak and puny," Davies tells Parade. "So many of the figures had unique action features, so it made building your collection even more fun. They were so huge that many knockoff lines were made."

Per Changnon, the action figures soared in popularity in the '80s when their accompanying TV show launched.

15. Pound Puppies

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"Similar to Cabbage Patch Dolls, Pound Puppies were designed with 'adoption' in mind. It gave parents a great way to offer their kids a dog without the expense or mess of a real one," Friedland states.

Per Davies, the dogs' "sad eyes" made the toys "hard to resist."

"They tugged on emotional heartstrings," she says.

16. My Little Pony

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"My Little Pony was a perfect recipe for success for a girls' toy: horses, pastel colors and hair play," Davies points out. "The symbols, now called ‘cutie marks’ by fans, on each pony related to its personality and added an element of collectability."

Per Friedland, there were "hundreds of characters" to collect, and an animated TV series that was inspired by the toys.

17. G.I. Joe

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"After a brief hiatus, G.I. Joe came back in 1982, shifting from a 12 [inch] format to a 3 ¾ [inch] format, which was inspired by Kenner’s Star Wars figures," Friedland shares. "The breadth of characters, the fun villainous COBRA forces and the insane number of vehicles made this line popular."

In the '80s, Changnon says, the action figure was "rebranded as 'A Real American Hero.'"

18. 'Star Wars' Toys

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"While Star Wars figures first hit stores in the late '70s, they were still dominating sales in the '80s, especially with the release of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi," Friedland points out. "Star Wars action figures and vehicles were usually at the top of every kid’s list, and they wanted pretty much every human, alien and droid they saw in the movies on their shelves. Iconic vehicles like the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon that were made to scale with the figures drove the play patterns and additional sales."

19. Lite Brite

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"Who would have assumed that a light box, paper patterns and colored pegs would be a cultural phenomenon?" Friedland shares. "But, with the assortment of licensed patterns you could create, like Scooby-Doo, and the ability to use the existing pegs or buy more, there was always a reason to buy either a new Lite Brite or additional accessories."

Related: 50 Things Only People Who Lived in the 1970s Will Remember

20. Teddy Ruxpin

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Teddy bears are a dime a dozen, but Teddy Ruxpin broke the mold since the stuffed animal could move and tell stories.

"Teddy Ruxpin felt futuristic because it blended animatronics and storytelling. Ken Forsse, Teddy’s inventor, was a visionary and a former Disney Imagineer," Colgan tells Parade. "He poured his heart into it for decades and built a magical world so many kids escaped into."

21. Speak & Spell

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"Speak & Spell exploded in popularity because it was one of the first toys ever released with electronic speech. Parents loved it because it was educational. Being featured in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial didn’t hurt sales either," Friedland shares.

Per Colgan, the Speak & Spell used a TMC0280 linear predictive coding speech synthesizer that "made the electronic voice sound incredibly futuristic to kids at the time."

22. She-Ra

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Barbie certainly represented girl power, but these action figures offered young girls an alternative with a bit more attitude.

"She-Ra offered expansion of the fantasy action-adventure toy genre, but [was] targeted towards girls during a time with very gendered toy aisles," Colgan says.

23. Glo Worm

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A toy worm whose face glowed when you squeezed it? What a delight!

"Glo Worm worked on a lot of levels for toddlers. It lit up like a nightlight and was cuddly, so it helped ease bedtime anxiety," Friedland says. "It was also cute with a face that shifted from a daytime 'awake' version to a nighttime 'sleepy mode' that made it easy for kids to understand bedtime."

24. LEGOs

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LEGOs are a toy that has captivated generation after generation of kids, all while also delighting adults. In the '80s, Davies says the building toy was all the rage, especially one particular themed set.

"You can’t help but think of the space theme when you think of 1980s LEGO. The Classic Space theme had more sets than any others during the decade, and it was given a refresh in 1987 with new heroes, and for the first time, villains," she says.

25. Koosh Ball

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If you've ever launched a Koosh Ball before, you know the squishy toy is surprisingly entertaining.

"These were popular because they gave even the clumsiest kid the ability to catch a ball. Combined with the unusual texture, it made it a must-have fidget toy for kids and adults," Friedland shares.

Up Next:

Related: 25 Popular Cars Everyone Wanted in the 1970s

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